Global conflicts reach highest level since World War II, with 65 state-involved conflicts in 2025

New data shows global conflicts reached a post-WWII high in 2025, with 65 active state-involved conflicts. The number of direct wars between states doubled to eight, while fatalities of approximately 245,000 made it the third-deadliest year since the Cold War. The Russia-Ukraine war was the most lethal, and violence against civilians surged, particularly in Sudan. Researchers link the trend to a changing global security order and the potential end of "Pax Americana."

Record global conflict levels

• ▪Africa was the continent most affected by state-based conflict in 2025, followed by Asia and the Middle East
• ▪In 2025, there were 65 active, state-involved conflicts worldwide, the highest number recorded since 1946

Interstate war resurgence

• ▪Interstate conflicts in 2025 included Russia-Ukraine, Iran-Israel, India-Pakistan, Thailand-Cambodia, and Afghanistan-Pakistan
• ▪The number of direct conflicts between states doubled from the previous year to eight in 2025, the highest since data collection began in 1946

Highest fatalities since Rwanda

• ▪In Sudan, tens of thousands of civilians were killed by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in massacres, particularly after the capture of El Fasher
• ▪Approximately 245,000 people were killed in conflict in 2025, making it the third-deadliest year since the Cold War, after 1994 and 2021
• ▪The number of deaths from attacks directly targeting civilians increased dramatically to 76,500 in 2025, up from 14,200 in 2024

Russia-Ukraine war casualties

• ▪In 2025, an estimated 77,700 Russian and 14,000 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the war
• ▪The Russia-Ukraine war was the deadliest interstate conflict of 2025, accounting for 62% of all battle-related deaths

Sudan RSF civilian massacres

• ▪Researchers suggest the rise in conflicts lends credence to arguments that the post-WWII "Pax Americana" and the liberal world order are ending
• ▪The conflict between government forces and the RSF in Sudan was the third deadliest state-based conflict in 2025, with 12,200 deaths

Pax Americana decline

• ▪The trend of increasing interstate conflicts predates the current U.S. administration and cannot be explained by a single policy decision
• ▪Of the 65 conflicts in 2025, 13 rose to the level of war, defined as having over 1,000 battlefield deaths in a year